The present invention relates to an apparatus for hair cosmetic treatment, particularly for producing permanent waves, with at least one curler having a substantially rotationally symmetrical body for curling the hair, a jacket which can be placed on the body, embraces the curl and forms a gap between it and the body, said jacket being formed from two part cylindrical shells, which are provided with at least two contiguous longitudinal edges with seals and are held by means of spring tension in a closed position engaging the body, the jacket having an opening for the supply of liquid hair treatment agents and the body has transverse ducts for introducing said agents into the curl.
Permanent waves are produced by curlers, which comprise a generally cylindrical, centrally constricted curling part made from plastic with shaped elements, which increase the surface of the curler, so that the hair applied to the latter is relatively firmly entwined by it, but is held in loosened form in order to ensure a good wetting of the hair with the perming solution, as well as a good penetration of the hair during rinsing. Following the curling of the hair onto the curler, the hair is secured with a rubber strip tensioned along the curler over its facing end faces and optionally rods are drawn under the rubber strip.
A brush or sponge is then used for dabbing the perming solution onto the individual curls until an adequate wetting of the hair has been achieved. At the end of the necessary action time, intermediate rinsing takes place with water, optionally accompanied by a neutralization check with an indicator or reaction paper. Finally, to fix the shape given by the curler under the action of the perming solution, a fixing solution is dabbed in the same way onto the curls and subsequently rinsed out of the curled hair again. This is followed by the removal of the curler, after which fixing may be repeated and finally the hair is coiffured.
The durability and dimensional stability of the permanent wave or perm can be increased if the action on both the perming solution and the fixing solution takes place under heat treatment, i.e. under a dryer.
However, these applications are very complicated and require a considerable amount of time, the results being essentially dependent on the skill of the hairdresser during the dosing and distributing of the perming and fixing solutions. Another problem when producing permanent waves is that the perming solution can lead to irritations or allergic reactions both on the scalp of the customer and on the hands of the hairdresser.
An apparatus is known (French Pat. No. 1 002 340), which attempts to solve these problems. The aforementioned apparatus in the form of a curler comprises a body receiving the hair and a jacket formed from two shells co-operating in clamp or clip-like manner. The two shells can be opened counter to a spring tension formed by a spring clip surrounding the common pivot axis of the two shells and can be moved over the body. The two shells are constructed as semicylinders in the vicinity of their ends to permit the operation thereof. Opposite to the longitudinal edges with the seals, pressure plates are shaped onto the semicylindrical parts, much as in the case of a clothes peg and can be compressed by finger pressure in opposition to the spring tension. Over most of their axial extension, the shells are constructed as quarter-cylinders, so that in the closed position they form an upwardly open half-shell. The perming solution is introduced from this side into the half-shell and an outflow onto the scalp is prevented by the seals on the lower longitudinal edges of the quarter-shells. The perming solution impregnates the curls and can also flow through the transverse ducts of the curling part. A good sealing on the longitudinal edges can only be achieved if the sealing surfaces of the shells are pressed against one another by a very high spring tension. As a result the shells can only be opened through considerable exertion or not at all and this cannot be expected of the generally female hair dresser. In addition, the perming solution can frontally run out, because no separate seals are provided there. In addition, this curler suffers from the serious disadvantage that it can only be applied to the top of the head due to the top-open construction, because otherwise the perming solution would run out. Following treatment, the curler must be emptied, which is only possible through opening the shells, so that the scalp and customer is general are in no way given protection by this method. A precise dosing of the perming solution is not possible. Overdosing and unnecessary consumption must be expected if, in place of the conventional dabbing of the curl, the perming solution is now filled into the half-shell.
Another known apparatus (German Pat. No. 589 286) is used following onto the conventional application of the perming solution. It is used for heating the curler, the main shaping of the hair taking place by heat supply using steam. Hereagain a curling part is provided, which is completely embraced by a two-shell jacket. The curling part has axial hose nipples for the connection of hoselines for steam treatment. The steam flows through the hollow curler in the axial direction. Near to the front faces, the curling part has transverse ducts, through which the steam can advance into the cavity between it and the jacket and consequently to the curl. The half-shells are interconnected in hinge-like manner and are provided with a closure on the under side thereof facing the scalp. Both the opening and closing of the curl must consequently take place in the immediate vicinity of the scalp, which is very complicated because the closure or fastener is subject to difficult access conditions. The mounting and removal of the hoselines or connecting lines between the individual curlers is also complicated, because this operation takes place in the axial direction and therefore close to and parallel to the scalp. Although the jacket is admittedly axially sealed with respect to the curling part by ring seals, it is not sealed radially between the two half-shells. Thus, this curler does not solve the aforementioned problems both for the customer and the hairdresser when applying the perming solution.
The problem of the present invention is to so further develop an apparatus of the aforementioned type, that the curler can be fitted simply and in problem-free manner to the head of the customer, a high sealing effect against running out of the treatment solution is ensured and a completely satisfactory dosing of said solution is possible.